We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts and live our own lives in a way that is not possible for those keeping up with the crowd.
Laura Ingalls WilderRead
One-third to one-half of humanity are said to go to bed hungry every night. In the Old Stone Age the fraction must have been much smaller. This is the era of hunger unprecedented. Now, in the time of the greatest technical power, is starvation an institution. Reverse another venerable formula: the amount of hunger increases relatively and absolutely with the evolution of culture.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Despite advancements in culture and technology, hunger remains a pervasive issue.
Marshall Sahlins highlights the paradox of modern society where, despite significant technological progress and cultural evolution, hunger and starvation persist as institutional problems. He suggests that as humanity has developed, the prevalence of hunger has not diminished, indicating a deeper issue within the structure of our civilization that allows such disparities to exist.
Themes
HungerStarvationCultureSocietyTechnology
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about global food security, this quote could emphasize the ongoing hunger crisis despite technological advancements.
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